As Microsoft Teams continues to grow as the collaboration hub for many businesses, IT leaders – and the partners who support them – are increasingly asking the next big question:
Can Teams also support our full business communications needs?
For many organizations, Microsoft’s own Teams Phone offering may provide what they need to get started with calling in Teams. It’s built into the Microsoft ecosystem and may be relatively straightforward for businesses already managing their communications through Microsoft 365.
But for others, particularly those with evolving communication needs or looking to unify multiple tools, Teams Phone may only be the starting point. That’s where embedded third-party integrations come in, offering a broader, more flexible path to transform Teams into a fully featured communications solution.
For partners, understanding these options is essential to guiding customers toward the right fit – while also unlocking new value and revenue opportunities.
Teams Phone: Built-In, Basic Calling for Teams Users
Microsoft Teams Phone is Microsoft’s own solution for enabling PSTN calling from within the Teams app. It’s designed to provide a basic voice layer for users already working inside Microsoft 365 and may be a reasonable option for businesses with minimal calling needs and limited complexity.
Best for:
Organizations with straightforward requirements that are primarily looking to add voice capabilities into their existing Teams environment – without the need for deeper customization or integration.
Key Features of Microsoft Teams Phone:
- Make and receive external (PSTN) calls within Teams
- Voicemail with transcription
- Auto attendants and basic call queues
- Support for Teams-certified SIP phones and devices
- Requires Microsoft Phone System license and calling plan or Direct Routing
While it may work well in simple scenarios, Teams Phone can be limiting for businesses that rely on more advanced call flows, integrations with CRM or analytics platforms, or customer service and compliance tools.
Embedded Integrations: Extending Teams with Advanced Capabilities
For businesses looking to go beyond basic calling – and in today’s fast-moving, customer-driven world, that includes organizations of all sizes and sectors – embedded third-party integrations offer a powerful alternative.
These solutions enhance Teams by bringing enterprise-grade communication capabilities directly into the workflow. In many cases, the experience feels native to Teams, allowing users to stay in one familiar environment while benefiting from tools that reach far beyond what Teams Phone can offer.
“We see a growing number of organizations that want to keep Microsoft Teams at the center of collaboration but need more flexibility, insight, and control than the native voice experience provides,” said Irina Shamkova, Chief Product Officer at Intermedia. “That’s where integrations like Unite for Teams come in – enabling deeper functionality, smarter communication, and greater business continuity, all within the Teams interface.”
Common capabilities among leading integration providers include:
- Advanced call controls: monitor, whisper, barge
- Business SMS and MMS
- Real-time transcription and AI-powered sentiment analysis
- CRM and business system integration
- Contact center functionality, including queue management and agent tools
- Mobile/web app continuity during Teams outages
- Secure archiving with actionable insights
These integrations are not limited to large enterprises. In fact, many are designed to scale seamlessly – making them a fit for businesses of all sizes, from startups to multi-location organizations with more sophisticated communication needs.
What Sets Intermedia Unite for Teams Apart
Among the various integrations available, Intermedia Unite for Teams offers a compelling mix of functionality, ease of use, and partner-centric delivery. It’s built to serve businesses across the spectrum – from small and growing to established and regulated – while also giving partners flexibility in how they package, deliver, and support the solution.
For customers:
- Enterprise-grade voice – Unlimited calling to 30+ countries
- Omnichannel communication – Integrated voice, SMS, and MMS
- Contact center functionality – Features for managing high-touch customer interactions
- AI-enhanced experience – Live transcription, sentiment insights, and analytics
- Intelligent archiving – Go beyond regulatory compliance. Unite for Teams captures communication across channels into a unified, searchable archive – creating a data-rich foundation where AI can surface patterns, highlight customer needs, and expose blind spots that might otherwise go unnoticed.
- Reliable continuity – Unite mobile and desktop apps ensure communication doesn’t stop, even if Teams does
- Seamless user experience – Intermedia’s integration is fully embedded in the Teams interface – no switching between apps, no bolt-on feel, and no compromise in usability
- Microsoft-aligned – As a certified Microsoft solutions provider, Intermedia builds on a strong foundation with a user experience that feels like a natural extension of Teams
“Businesses shouldn’t have to choose between collaboration and advanced customer engagement tools, built-in redundancy, or cost-effective licensing,” Shamkova said.
Comparing Microsoft Teams Phone vs Teams Integrations
| Feature/Need | Microsoft Teams Phone | Teams Integrations |
| PSTN Calling | ✅ Available as an Add-on | ✅ Available through integration |
| Requires Microsoft Teams Phone License | ✅ Yes | ❌ No (depends on integration) |
| Advanced Contact Center Features | ❌ Limited | ✅ Available (e.g., queues, whisper) |
| Third-Party App Support | ❌ Minimal | ✅ Extensive app support |
| CRM and Analytics Integration | ❌ Basic | ✅ Deep integrations (Salesforce, etc.) |
| Redundancy During Teams Outage | ❌ Dependent on Teams availability | ✅ Failover via separate apps |
| Customization and Flexibility | ❌ Limited | ✅ Highly customizable |
Which Should You Choose?
Choose Microsoft Teams Phone if:
- You want a simple, native calling solution that integrates easily within the Microsoft 365 environment.
- Your team doesn’t need advanced calling or third-party integrations.
- You’re okay with relying on Microsoft for all aspects of your communication.
Choose a Teams Integration like Intermedia Unite for Teams if:
- You need features like SMS and MMS, advanced call routing, or contact center tools.
- You want to avoid the additional Microsoft licensing costs.
- You require built-in redundancy, flexibility and seamless continuity.
- Your team uses CRM or analytics platforms that need to be integrated.
Why Choose Intermedia Unite for Teams?
- Unlimited calling to 30+ countries
- Voicemail transcription for faster message handling
- Advanced call management features like monitor, whisper, and barge
- Business SMS and MMS for text and multimedia communications
“With Unite for Teams, we’re helping organizations turn Teams into a true all-in-one environment – for messaging, meetings, voice, customer engagement, and long-term continuity,” Shamkova added.
For partners:
- Offer under the Intermedia brand or white-label as your own
- Avoid complex Microsoft licensing and support structures
- Sell into verticals with tailored solutions (e.g., healthcare, legal, financial)
- Add recurring revenue without adding management overhead
- Rely on Intermedia for provisioning, onboarding, and full lifecycle support
- Serve organizations of any size – with scalability that adapts to customer growth
With Unite for Teams, partners can offer something that feels like a native Teams experience – backed by a broader feature set and business model that fits both customer and partner goals.
The Partner Opportunity: Flexibility, Simplicity, and Stickier Solutions
Some customers may be well-served by Microsoft’s native offering. Others – especially those with growth plans, compliance needs, or customer service goals – will need more from their communications platform.
By offering both options, partners can become trusted advisors rather than one-size-fits-all vendors. And with Unite for Teams, they get a proven integration that feels natural to Teams users but delivers much more – without the complexity or licensing hurdles that can stall deals.
This isn’t about replacing Teams – it’s about helping customers get more from it.
Final Thought
Microsoft Teams has become a workplace standard. The question for partners isn’t whether to support it – it’s how to extend it in ways that meet each customer’s unique communication needs.
For some, Teams Phone may be enough to get started. For others, an embedded integration like Intermedia Unite for Teams can turn Teams into a full-scale business communications platform – one that delivers voice, contact center, messaging, AI insights, and continuity in one seamless experience.
The opportunity for partners is clear: meet your customers where they already are, then show them how to go further.
For more information, visit Intermedia.
